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As we said in the last post, the Indian festival of Navratri, a 9-day celebration started last week. In Gujarat, India, this festival is celebrated by having dandiya and garba nights pretty much the whole of 9 days, but especially in the last 3 days. Dandiya is a traditional group dance performed by pairs with decorative sticks and Garba is a group formation dance. Even though both Garba and Dandiya are a part of the Gujarati culture and are performed in a grand way in the Indian state of Gujarat, the event is so vibrant and fun that it's been adopted by all other Indian states and has turned into a big event everywhere. Even the US and other countries outside of India ain't lost on the garba charm and fun of a good Dandiya night! With the Covid19 pandemic slowly but surely easing out and public life coming to normal, look out for some dandiya and garba nights in your area - the 30 million strong Indian American community in the USA looks forward to their packed garba nights every year!
So if you're in the US, UK, Canada or elsewhere and want to put your best Garba outfit out there, we have it all sorted for you.
The first question is:
What SHOULD you wear for Garba or Dandiya
Here's how to grab your best garba outfit
1) Flared outfits like Lehenga or Ghagra
Since both Dandiya and Garba involve a lot of swirling, moving around, and rotating, any outfit that has a large flair would add to the charm and the optics of the dances. The most typical Garba outfit is admittedly a traditional lehenga choli, but if you want a more western spin on it then even an anarkali suit, a flared gown, or a flouncy skirt with a crop top would do.
2) Glitter and embellishments
Garba is no time for being subtle. The louder, the shinier and the more embellished, the better. So this is one time of the year when you can totally carry off that skirt with a thousand mirrors, sequins, beads and take that big chunky necklace out of the storage and put it to good use!
3) Show some skin
Garba is a time when the most traditionally dressed girls (and guys) manage to look their hottest! Even in their traditional fineries, Gujju girls know how to turn the heat on. If you are comfortable then go for a backlace blouse! But if that's not your jam, then a blouse with a deep cut, or a low-waist lehenga to show off that sexy waist will do the job just as well!
4) Comfort
While the above points are true, don't forget that garba and dandiya can get intense! Expect to be dancing for hours on end. While it's well and good to be dressed to the nines in your most embellished garba outfits, remember, heavier the outfit, the more heavy it'll be and the more weight you'll have to carry throughout the night. So go for light-weight lehengas with lighter embellishments like stick on mirrors, decals, and sequins rather than heavy work like zardosi or beads.
5) Matching jewelry
No garba outfit is complete without some jewelry. Luckily, Garba is the time to take out all those big chunky jewelry pieces out of their storage and go crazy! What may be considered loud or tacky during other times goes perfectly well during these magical 9 days. Wearing some nice traditional or even statement jewelry like jhumkas, balis, ear cuffs and chokers would complete the look. To add even more pizazz to your garba outfit, add bangles, arm bands and waist bands to your look.
Shop 10 best Garba outfits
Now that we've told you HOW to choose a perfect garba outfit, here we have curated some ready looks for you to shop. You can buy these garba or dandiya outfits from Trendia and have them delivered within 2-3 days, just in time for your Garba night on Oct 14 and 15.
Garba outfits for women
1. Light-weight Bandhani lehenga sets
These Chokhi Bandhani lehengas are light-weight, flouncy and just the right amount of embellishment for the girl who wants to dress traditional and yet keep it relaxed. These lehengas are made in the style of the "Bandhani" or the traditional Gujarati art of Tie and Dye. Check out all the colours of the Bandhani lehengas here.
2. Benarasi Brocade Lehengas
A modern spin on the more traditional benarasi lehengas, these lehengas have a lesser flounce than conventional lehengas, come with a crop top and look opulent and yet elegant. They come in multiple patterns, colours and colour combinationas. Check out the full range of the Brocade Benarasi Lehengas.
3. Mix and match crop top and flared skirt
If you'd rather skip the full on lehenga set and DIY a bit, then getting a flouncy or flared skirt like this and pairing it with a crop top, blouse or even a bustier would be a great option. Here we have matched a foil printed flared skirt with foil print, a bustier and a Kundan choker necklace for the ultimate Boho-traditional_indian look.
4. Anarkali Suit
Like we said, an Anarkali kurta gives you the flounce of a lehenga and yet the comfort of a salwar suit. So for a traditional Gujarati event like garba and dandiya, this Anubhutee Bandhani printed kurti with an angrakha neck with tie-up tassles and a palazzo pants will keep you comfortable and yet making all the right swirls!
5. Peplum Kurti with Dhoti pants
For a traditional and yet a unique boho look, try this spin on a dhoti with a peplum kurti and dhoti pants set or DIY with a crop or spaghetti top and Dhoti pants separately.
Garba outfits for men
Garba is an inclusive festival for all and dressing up isn't a women's only domain. Luckily, Indian men too get out in their full festive fineries when it comes to dressing up for a garba night, but for men dressing up may not come easy or naturally so here we have rounded top 5 garba outfits for men to shop right here on Trendia global.
1. Kurta
The traditional garba outfit for men is usually a peplum style kurta, pyjamas and sometimes a jacket. Grab this ready made kurta chudidar set or pair up any of the many other men's kurtas we got with a chudidar or paijama and you're set.
2. Dhoti and kurta
If you want your man to get even more hard core traditional, then nothing like a Kurta with a dhoti instead of a pyjama. Grab our ready Dhoti-Kurta sets, Dhotis and just get someone who knows how to tie a dhoti to get this look!
Garba outfits for kids
Kids just need another excuse to dance! And garba is no different. Little girls and boys love playing dress up in their tiny little traditional Indian outfits. Here's some garba outfits for little Indian girls and boys.
Bandhani Lehenga for little girls
This purple and green lehenga with bandhani print and silver gota work with get your little girl even more excited about the garba night and see her grooving to some dandiya beats soon!